Together For Christmas
by mystic7194
Summary: Both Sarah and Neal are used to spending Christmas alone. Now they can spend it together. For Devoregirl. Neal/Sarah Het


**Spoilers:vague Spoilers for the first 2 episodes of season 4 ** **Pairing: Neal/Sarah Warnings: None**

AN: I normally don't write Het but I like how this fic turned out. Sorry about the title. I couldn't think of anything.

It's Christmas eve and snow is falling gently across New York City. A chilly wind occasionally sends the falling fakes spiraling and twirling wildly. It's late enough that most children have been sent to bed hours ago. The streets are largely empty except for the few last minute shoppers frantically trying to get the last few things on their lists.

Neal sits in front of the fireplace in his apartment listening to deep-voiced jazz singers crooning their renditions of Christmas carols. It's pleasantly warm in front of the fire. Neal's happy not to be outside facing the snow, ice, and wind. He nibbles on the homemade cookies he'd gotten from El and sips the wine Peter had given him at the FBI holiday party. Peter purchased the wine at a family-run vineyard upstate that El had dragged him to. It's not a 1982 Bordeaux but it's the thought that counts. It'd be the perfect evening if he wasn't alone.

Mozzie isn't a big fan of the holiday season. The cold, the crowds, and the commercialism all make the short con-man edgy. Neal spent years hearing Mozzie complain about how both Christmas and Hanukkah were conspiracies before Mozzie decided to just skip the whole holiday season by spending most of December on a cruise in the Caribbean. Although, before he leaves, Mozzie always helps Neal decorate his apartment with lights, tinsel, and an unnecessary amount of mistletoe.

Both June and the Burkes are visiting family out of state. Peter and El are visiting El's family in Virginia and June is spending Christmas at her youngest son's house in Atlanta. Her son's wife had just given birth and June was excited to finally be able to meet her youngest grandson. She'll be gone until at least New Year's.

Neal doesn't have any close family and Mozzie is the only friend from his life before prison that he still speaks to. Even if Neal could think of a friend from the old days who would answer his call he still has his radius to think about. The anklet definitely puts a damper on any travel plans.

Just when Neal has resigned himself to spending Christmas alone, there's a knock on his door. Neal is unprepared to find Sarah Ellis standing in the hallway.

"Sarah," Neal greets surprised but not unhappy to see the insurance investigator who he had last parted with on uncertain terms. "Come sit down. Would you like something to eat or drink? I have wine and homemade cookies."

"I'll pass on the cookies but take you up on the wine," Sarah states.

"Your loss," Neal jokes. "Elizabeth can bring men to their knees with the power of her cookies." Neal pours Sarah a glass of wine and they sit together on Neal's couch. "It's good to see you. It's been a while."

"Yeah," Sarah agrees. "I haven't seen you since you ran away to paradise."

"Cape Verde was beautiful but the real paradise was coming home," Neal reveals. "Did you come all this way just to hear about my trip?"

"I volunteered to work late tonight tying up some loose ends in an investigation," Sarah explains. "I was finally on my way home when I saw that your light was still on. I thought that I'd pop by to wish you a Merry Christmas. I met your maid on her way out and she opened the door for me."

"You volunteered to work late on Christmas eve?" Neal asks.

"Someone has to make sure that the work is finished," Sarah says with a shrug. "It's better for me to miss out on my planed night of Christmas movies and Chinese food than for someone with kids or visiting family to miss out on spending Christmas eve with them."

"You don't have any visiting family?" Neal asks.

"I have a brother in the Navy," Sarah explains. "But he's stationed overseas. My dad died when I was a kid and my mom passed away when I was in college. They were both only children. Unless my brother can get time off I normally spend Christmas with A Christmas Story and take out."

"I'm quite partial to It's a Wonderful Life and a good bottle of wine myself," Neal says with a smile. The radio switches from playing jazz music to a more upbeat Spanish song.

"Felize Navidad," the radio plays joyously.

"Would you like to dance?" Neal asks Sarah.

"Of course," Sarah says with a smile. Neal takes Sarah's hard and pulls her close. They do a rough approximation of a tango across the floor of the apartment. They both laugh as Neal dips and twirls Sarah in time with the music. When the song ends both Neal and Sarah are left breathing heavily. They remain in a close embrace as they try to catch their breath.

"Look up," Sarah says once their breathing evens out. Above their head hung is a small sprig of mistletoe. Sarah smiles impishly. Neal takes the chance to kiss Sarah until they're both breathless again.

They pull apart just as the church bells ring out across the city calling their flock to midnight mass. It's midnight making it officially Christmas.

"Merry Christmas, Neal," Sarah says before pulling him into another kiss.

AN: I hope you liked this fic. Please leave me a review. Happy Holidays!


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